13 Of The Best Interview Questions (and eight best practices)
Employers, do you know how to interview well?
We always hear about the applicant’s journey. How their resume should look, how they should interview and what they should expect. But what about the Employer? Who helps them? ME! I can’t be a Professional Recruiter without a company to represent. So, for the Employer who needs to fill the empty seat in their office, below you’ll find some tips from a National Professional Recruiter with decades of experience (…that’s me).
But, let’s start with the most important and obvious: What questions you should ask when interviewing?
First thing to remember is that you can’t ask the same questions to every person for the same role-you really can’t! Most interviewers do, and it’s important to remember that ever person is different; their experience, background, and most importantly, their personality.
Choose the correct questions to ask based on the person and not just their experiences.
Here are some of my favorite interview Questions:
Adaptability – In today’s world, things change in a moments notice, you need to adapt as well.
Interview Question: “Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn?”
Interview Question: “Recall a time when you were assigned a task outside of your job description. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?”
Culture- When you hire correctly, keeping diversity and inclusion in mind, on average, companies generate up to 30% higher revenue per employee.
Interview Question: “What are the three things that are most important to you in a job?”
Interview Question: “What would make you chose our company over others?”
Collaboration- Done right, collaboration improves productivity, morale, and order. But when people aren’t good at collaborating, they can create roadblocks for colleagues.
Interview Question: “Tell me about a time when you were communicating with someone and they did not understand you. What did you do?”
Interview Question: “Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and the contributions you made.”
Interview Question: “Can you share an experience where a project dramatically shifted direction at the last minute? What did you do?”
Leadership-No matter what seniority level you’re hiring for, it never hurts to think about a candidate’s leadership potential.
Interview Question: “Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last six months.”
Interview Question: “Tell me about a time when you led by example. What did you do and how did others react?”
Growth - Opportunity. Most people want to expand their skills, understandings and even learn new skills. Asking questions to hear their thoughts and potential regardless of the role gives you a stronger perspective of the individual.
Interview Question: “What would motivate you to make a move from your current role?”
Interview Question: “Recall a time when your manager was unavailable when a problem arose. How did you handle the situation? Who did you consult with?”
Prioritization -Look for people who can manage their time effectively and pay close attention to details to ensure that things don’t fall through the cracks.
Interview Question: “How do you determine what amount of time is reasonable for a task?”
Interview Question: “Tell me about a project that you planned. How did you organize and schedule the tasks?”
Your job is to make the most out of every interview. Remember, candidates are nervous, and don’t always show their best. Here are a few best practices to keep for future reference:
Help them by giving them time to answer your questions thoughtfully.
If you want them to expand on an answer, ask them to do so.
Don’t rely on them to read your mind, (it never works).
If you want specifics, ask for them.
If you want more to an answer, ask them to share why they answered the question a specific way.
Watch your tone!
Be pleasant, professional, and nice, (remember, you are being judged too)!!
Please don’t ask negative questions. Don’t try to out smart them, belittle them or make them feel uncomfortable by asking, “If you were a fairy godmother, but you had to work, what would you do?” or “Why shouldn’t I hire you?”
You get the picture. I always tell my applicants to “have fun on the interview, be you, show a bit of your personality.” Please do the same. You might just find your next CEO by making the interview process enjoyable!